Right-to-work fight likely not coming to Pennsylvania soon

A crowd protests outside the state Capitol against two controversial right-to-work bills that the Michigan House of Representatives passed in Lansing, Mich. on Tuesday Dec. 11, 2012. As chants of angry protesters filled the Capitol, Michigan lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to right-to-work legislation, dealing a devastating and once-unthinkable defeat to organized labor in a state that has been a bastion of the movement for generations. (AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Romain Blanquart) DETROIT NEWS OUT; NO SALES (Romain Blanquart)

On Tuesday, Republicans in Michigan passed "right-to-work" bills, which make it illegal for paying union dues or fees to be a condition of employment, despite thousands of protesters demonstrating against the legislation.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Corbett said that while he would support such a bill if it ever came across his desk, he thinks the state lacks the political will to pass such a measure.

"There is not much of a movement to do it and lot of it has to do with the politics at the local level, at the county level and at the state level," Corbett said during an appearance Monday on the Dom Giordano Program on WPHT-AM in Philadelphia. "Until I see a strong will to get legislation passed, we have a lot of other things that we have to get passed."

If the bill was passed in Pennsylvania, public outcry could mimic what was seen in Michigan.

Dr. Maureen Muller, Assistant Professor of Business at Penn State York, thinks using the phrase "right-to-work" is misleading. She says the bill allows management to terminate employees at will, and isn't really aimed at allowing more people to work.

"The name of this bill is really deceiving," she said. "It really should be called the 'right to fire' bill."

Critics contend the real intent of the bill - to bleed unions of money and bargaining power - would destroy the middle class. Supporters, however, say it is an issue of freedom of association for workers and improving the business climate.

Advertisement

"This is a very pro-labor state and for the larger firms, they have long ago come to some accommodation with the workforce and organized labor," David Patti, a Corbett supporter who leads the Harrisburg-based business advocacy group, the Pennsylvania Business Council, said in an interview with the Associated Press. "If I was waving a magic wand or could do it just because I said so, sure, but we're not making an effort on it."

A crowd of protestors sit in inside the state Capitol against two controversial right-to-work bills that the Michigan House of Representatives passed in Lansing, Mich. on Tuesday Dec. 11, 2012. As chants of angry protesters filled the Capitol, Michigan lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to right-to-work legislation, dealing a devastating and once-unthinkable defeat to organized labor in a state that has been a bastion of the movement for generations. (AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Romain Blanquart) DETROIT NEWS OUT; NO SALES (Romain Blanquart)

Rep. Ron Miller, R-York, the House Labor and Industry Committee chairman, saw no chance for right-to-work legislation after he couldn't pass what he viewed as a small legislative change that wound up being opposed by private-sector construction unions.

"It is a very difficult lift and if the governor is saying he's not going to lead the charge, I don't see us getting it done," Miller said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Michael Hollinger of York Township grew up in a family of union leaders. "Both my mother and father were active in their unions and presidents of their unions. I learned through experience that their unions helped negotiate deals, and fought for their salaries and benefits."

He feels strongly that Pennsylvania should not be a right-to-work state, and any such legislation would just strip rights away from workers and unions.

"Most companies today act like the new raise is just keeping your job," Hollinger said.

If Pennsylvania approved such a bill, employees around York County at big companies such as Harley-Davidson or Caterpillar could find themselves worse off.

"Workers could face decreased job security, wages and benefits," Muller said. "Some research shows that right-to-work states have lower weekly wages and benefits than non-right-to-work states."

In 2011, 779,000 workers in Pennsylvania belonged to a union, or 14.6 percent of the state's wage and salary workers, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The numbers show a steady decline in the proportion of union membership, although it remained above the U.S rate of 11.8 percent in 2011, the BLS said.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story

Sufjan Stevens, "Carrie & Lowell" (Asthmatic Kitty) Plucked strings and pulsing keyboards dominate the distinctive arrangements on Sufjan Stevens' latest album, and in the absence of a rhythm section, they serve to keep time. Full Story